Joel is one of the twelve Old Testament writers collectively referred to as the Minor Prophets. His book is a part of the second major division of the Old Testament known as the Prophets.
Date Written, Location
Joel wrote his book in Israel from 596 to 586 B.C. He wrote at a time when the Kingdom of Judah was ruled by King Zedekiah. The king, who reigned from 597 to 586, was the last of the twenty rulers who led Judah.
[Where Were Bible Books Written?]
The Author
Not much is known about Joel. His name means "Jehovah is God" or "to whom Jehovah is God." His father's name was Pethuel (Joel 1:1).
[Where Were Old Testament People Buried?]
Joel's death is not found in the Bible. One tradition, however, places his burial in Jish (Gush Halav) located roughly 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) northwest of the Sea of Galilee.
Time Period
Although Joel addresses Jews living in his day (Joel 1:2), his book focuses on events that will take place both before and during the prophetic Day of the Lord. This prophetic day, a time of God's wrath on humanity for worshipping the end time Beast power, will take place in the near future.
[Timeline of the Day of the Lord]
Joel Chapter Outline
Chpt. 1: Joel opens his book by first warning of the unique nature of the locusts about to come upon the land. He then calls for mourning over the devastation about to take place and encourages the people, including its leaders, to fast and repent of disobeying God.
Joel then transitions to his first mention of the "Day of the Lord" (verse 15). This will be a time when food will be scarce along with farm animals unable to find food or water (drought and famine conditions).
[The Greatest Famines in the Bible]
[The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!]
Chpt. 2: Joel continues his theme of the Day of the Lord by warning of a vast evading army whose power is unprecedented in human history (verse 2). A huge swarm of locusts will also come over the land to devour everything in its path.
[Does God Approve of Eating Locusts?]
The Lord, through Joel, then calls on the people to repent with weeping and fasting for straying from the true God (verses 12 - 13, 15 - 17). If the people repent of their sins then the Lord promises to be merciful and chase away those who have come to conquer them (verse 20). He will also richly bless them (verses 13 - 14, 19 - 27).
God will also pour out his Holy Spirit on the people and manifest himself to them through dreams and visions.
Chpt. 3: Joel reveals in chapter 3 that God will gather the nations of the world for a great battle. Part of the goal of the battle is to judge and punish the enemies of his people such as Tyre and Sidon (Phoenicians) as well as the Philistines who brutally took advantage of them.
[Where Was Phoenicia Located?]
God promises, after the devastation, death and destruction of the Day of the Lord, to abundantly bless.